Rain
by November Rain 19
Summary: My first Matt/Mimi fic. Mimi reflects on the events that happened the week before.


Disclaimer: I still do not own Digimon. Trust me, it's as much of a shock to you as it is to me. 

Author's Notes: For part of the story, there's a flashback. The way I did it was this: Mimi is looking back on the events of the past and making comments about it. Her thoughts are from the present, in the first person, and are in italics. Just wanted to let you know so there's no confusion. 

This is dedicated to everyone who read and reviewed my first fanfic. Especially Maya and Sara. If it wasn't for all of you, I wouldn't have continued to write. 

This is a departure from my usual writing because, well, it's very short. Those of you have had read my other work know what I'm talking about;) This was inspired by a small piece of writing that I had done about a year ago. I modified it slightly to work here. As always, any feedback is much appreciated and wanted. Just send to Dafishies2@aol.com. Enjoy.   


Rain   
By Melissa 

**Present**   


The tears fell from her eyes, but it didn't seem to matter. The salty drops of water just mixed with the rain that had started falling. She stood so still she might as well have been made out of stone, just as the angels saints, and headstones were that surrounded her. She wondered if she could have done anything, said anything, to prevent this from happening. It was kind of a moot point now, she thought bitterly. She cursed her shyness, her inability to express her feelings and pretty much everything else, even though she knew that wouldn't change the fact that her friend was gone forever. She raised her hand to her lips and kissed the tips of her fingers. She then gently laid her hand on the headstone. She could feel the coldness of the stone through her gloves. She sighed heavily, for that coldness was exactly how she felt inside. 

"Why did you have to leave me, Matt?" She said quietly to herself. 

Mimi couldn't believe that he was actually gone. She traced the name carved on the grave stone with her finger as she read the inscription. 

Yamato Ishida   
1989-2000   
Beloved Son and Brother 

Mimi sat down on the wet grass and drifted into a dream like state, remembering the events that had lead up to this point.   


**One week ago, in the Digital World**   
__

_From the first time I ever saw Matt, he had this certain way about him. He was the resident 'cool kid.' He had the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen. And that blonde hair of his. it looked completely unkempt, but at the same time looked neat. Tai said it looked like a bird's nest, but I think Tai was just a little jealous of Matt. The same could be said for Matt of Tai. Half the time they were friends and the other half of the time they were enemies._

"Earth to Mimi. Are you coming, or what?" 

Mimi snapped out of her daydream and looked at who had spoken to her. Matt was standing in front of her, grinning, offering his hand to help her up from the ground. 

That lopsided grin of his had always made me melt inside. 

Mimi took his hand and stood up. "Thank you," she said, blushing ever so slightly. 

"Any time." He flashed her another grin as he fell into step beside her. 

The group was making there way across part of the digital world. There had been a rumor that there was a possibility that some of the dark masters could be resurrected. The digidestined were sure not going to let that happen while there was anything they could do about it. They had made their way across and ocean, fields, mountains, and rivers. There was one obstacle left for them to conquer; a massive forest. 

_We, as a group, had been on a lot in our adventures. And throughout those adventures the bonds between us all had grown so strong that nothing could ever break them. Matt and I, as individuals, had grown closer in particular. When we first met, I thought he was an uncaring person. Imagine my surprise when I discovered his crest was that of friendship. My thoughts of him changed when I saw how much he cared for his little brother. And despite him not wanting to show it, he cared for the rest of us too. I can only imagine what he initially thought of me. I will admit that I was a whiner and a bit of a snob. However, I'd like to think that I've mostly grown out of that now._

The digidestined came to the edge of the giant forest. It was very dark and creepy looking. 

"Do we have to go in there?" TK asked, his voice quavering. 

"Absolutely. This is the last major piece of terrain that we have to cross. Whatever lies beyond the forest might give us a clue as to whether the rumors are true about resurrecting the dark masters," Tai replied. 

Matt knelt down next to TK. "Don't worry. If you get scared, you can hold onto my hand." 

"Thanks Matt," TK said as he smiled a little. 

_It was just that type of concern for others that attracted me to Matt, and still does._

"Well, what are we waiting for? A written invitation? Let's go!!" Tai yelled as he pumped his fist in the air. 

_If I had known what was going to happen, I would have done everything in my power to keep us from going in there. Sadly, hind sight is always 20/20. We followed Tai into the forest like lambs to the slaughter._

As they started their journey, it was little things, creepy things, that kept happening. A snapped twig here, the rustling of leaves there; pretty much all the horror movie clichés. Undaunted, they still pressed onward. As they went deeper into the forest, the more frightening it seemed to become. They didn't travel for very long because it was getting dark. 

Kari, TK, and Mimi gathered some firewood while the other's went about clearing a space on the forest floor. After that was accomplished, Agumon lit a fire with his Pepper breath. They sat around warming themselves for a little while. 

Joe broke the silence. "Anyone up for a Bakemon story?" 

"Are you nuts? If we start telling stories, we'll never be able to sleep. Besides, this place is scary enough all ready," Sora replied. 

Tai, who was sitting next to Sora, placed a hand on her shoulder. "There's nothing to be afraid of. As long as we're together, nothing is as scary as it seems." 

Sora smiled at Tai, and he smiled right back. 

_Ah, Tai and Sora. They would have made such a cute couple. Neither of them wanted to fess up to how they really felt though. I think the things we regret most in life are the chances that we never took. Thankfully, I will never have that regret._

It didn't take very long for the digidestined to start falling asleep. As much as they didn't want to drift of into unconsciousness in this scary place, the need for rest finally won out. Everyone was soon sound asleep, except for Mimi. 

'This place is way too creepy, there is no way I am closing my eyes,' Mimi thought to herself. 

Her eyes surveyed the surroundings. The dark, sinister looking trees made her involuntarily shudder. She turned her eyes back towards the sleeping forms of her friends. Her eyes strayed to one in particular. 

As cute as Matt was when he was awake, he was even cuter when he was asleep. He was curled up next to TK, with his arm around him. I wish I had had a camera, to capture that moment. 

A smile tugged at Mimi's lips. The grin disappeared and was replaced with a sigh. 'What was I thinking? He could never like me that much, let alone love me. I have to get away from here for a little while.......to try and clear my head,' she thought to herself. 

Mimi quietly got up, and headed away from the fire. She couldn't sit there, staring at someone she could never have. As she moved away, she stepped on a twig. It made a faint, but distinct, snapping noise. 

Matt opened his eyes when the twig broke. He was very careful not to move at all, just in case it was an evil digimon who was lurking nearby. He was a little surprised when he glanced around and saw it was Mimi who had made the noise. 

Mimi went about 25 feet away and sat down on a fallen log. She had her back to the fire and her friends. She stared into the darkness, lost in thought. Soon, tears started to form in her eyes. 

Matt gently took his arm from around his brother, being careful not to wake him. 'I wonder why Mimi left?' He pondered to himself. He didn't think too much of it, figuring she would be right back. He was about to go back to sleep when he heard a muffled sob. Suddenly very concerned, Matt got up and made his way in the direction Mimi had went. 

_Maybe if I hadn't started crying, things wouldn't have turned out the way that they did._

Matt approached the log silently. "Mimi? Are you all right?" He asked quietly. 

Mimi quickly wiped her eyes when she realized who was checking up on her. "I'm fine Matt," She replied, without turning to face him. 

"You don't sound fine." He took a seat next to her on the log. "C'mon Mimi. Maybe if you tell me what's bothering you, it'll make you feel better. We shouldn't carry around the weight of the pain that we're feeling. Gabumon taught me that." 

'I can't tell you because it's about you,' Mimi thought to herself. She wishing that it had been any of the other digidestined or digimon asking her that question right now. 

Unbeknownst to the two, a pair of sinister looking eyes were watching them, concealed in the blackness. 

Matt gently placed his hand on Mimi's shoulder. "We're friends, right? We're good friends and we can tell each other anything in the world," He paused, "I'm here for you Mimi," He said quietly. 

_Those words had almost made my resolve crumble. I was so close to breaking down and telling him everything. Ready to bear my soul to a person that I loved. But I wasn't that strong._

Mimi turned and looked at Matt. Her eyes still glistening from the tears she was so desperately trying to hold back. "Let me ask you a question then." 

"OK. What do you want to ask me?" 

Mimi took a deep breath before answering. "Have you ever been in love?" 

Matt's eyebrows shot sky high. He was obviously very surprised by the question. "In love?" 

"Yes. And I'm not talking about loving someone. We all have people and digimon that we love. I'm talking about being in love. To care so much and so deeply for someone that is physically hurts when you're not near them." 

Matt just stared at the ground. He seemed to be lost in thought. Some time passed before he spoke again. "Before I answer your question, please answer this one. Why do you want to know?" 

'Because I'm in love with you, you goof ball,' Mimi thought, barely restraining herself from speaking those words out loud. 

Matt stared intently at Mimi, waiting for her to answer. Mimi just closed her eyes. Her heart wanted to tell him everything she was feeling, but her mind refused to let her speak.. 

Matt didn't wait for Mimi to answer him. "Mimi, are you asking me this because you've fallen in love with someone?" 

Mimi nodded, but couldn't bring herself to look him directly in the eyes. 

No emotions played across Matt's face. He could have been a great poker player, it was so good. Then again, it had taken years of practice to get that way. Hiding your emotions all the time will do that to a person. 

'Oh no. I waited too long to tell her. Now she's fallen for someone else. I blew it!! I had plenty of opportunities to do it. The one time that I needed to have courage the most, it deserted me,' Matt thought sadly to himself. 

Swallowing the emotions that threatened to break, he spoke quietly. "I know how you feel Mimi. I've fallen in love with someone too." 

_I would have given anything in the world to know at that moment that he had been talking about me. He might still be alive today, if I had only known._

Mimi's eyes went wide and she turned to face him. 'Oh God. I waited too long to tell him. He's in love with someone else. Why couldn't I have just been sincere about my feelings with him?' She thought sadly. 

Both sat in silence for awhile, neither knowing quite what to say. Matt finally broke the silence. 

"We must be the only couple of 11 year olds who have ever fallen in love at our age," He commented wryly. 

"Must be," Mimi replied. 

Matt continued. "So why are you so sad? I thought being in love was supposed to be a good thing." 

"You don't look too thrilled about being in love yourself, Matt. It looks like we're both in the same boat," Mimi countered. 

'You don't know how right you are.' Matt thought 

'You don't know how right I am.' Mimi thought. 

A few more moments of silence went by. This time Mimi spoke up. "So, are you going to tell me who the lucky girl is? Who has won the heart of Yamato Ishida?" 

Matt gulped nervously. 'Should I tell her? Should I bear my soul to her, even though she's in love with another?' 

Matt was struggling with emotions raging inside of him. After what seemed like an eternity, he made a decision. 

A worried look creased Mimi's brow. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I understand that I'm asking you something very personal. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." 

Matt lifted his eyes to meet her gaze. "No, Mimi, it's all right," he sighed and then continued. "I want to tell you." 

Matt took Mimi's hands in his. He didn't speak right away. It was as if he was trying to find the right words. 

"Mimi.....I.....," Matt started, but was interrupted by a rustling in the bushes. 

_It wasn't until later that I realized that he was going to open up to me and tell me everything he ever felt. That is, if we hadn't been interrupted. That, I believe, takes a level of courage beyond anything else. Tai may have had the crest of Courage and was able to show it on the outside, but Matt had inner courage. Matt's courage was not having the strength to go on--it was going on when he didn't have the strength._

Both digidestined stared in the direction the noise was coming from. 

"Who's there?" Matt called out. 

The only reply he was greeted with was silence. 

"If you guys are trying to play a joke and scare us, it's not funny!!" Matt called out again. 

'If Tai is doing this, I'm going to kill him!' Matt thought. 'I finally have enough guts to tell Mimi how I feel and someone is ruining it!' 

Suddenly, more rustling was heard, this time from a different direction. 

"I think we should head back to camp," Mimi said, gripping Matt's hand tightly. "I don't think it's very safe for us to be out here all alone." 

"I couldn't agree more," Matt replied. 

Both got up and turned to leave. Suddenly, the trees that were all around seemed to move and form a solid wall, blocking there path. Faces suddenly appeared on the trunks of the trees. They grinned cruelly at the trapped digidestined. 

"Woodmon," Matt said, his voice dangerously low. "I'm not in the mood for your games. Let us go and maybe, just maybe, I won't turn you into toothpicks." 

_The faces on the Woodmon still give me nightmares, even today._

"What makes you think they're doing this by themselves? I'm controlling them," a strange, but somewhat familiar voice said. 

A look of shock registered on Matt's face when he realized who the voice belonged to. He and Mimi slowly turned around to face whoever was speaking. 

A huge tree stepped out of the darkness. It looked to be about the size of a redwood, but grey in color. It's branches were covered with vines and dead leaves. It had a set of glowing yellow eyes and a mustache as well. 

Matt's eyes narrowed. "Hello, Cherrymon." 

"Close, but no cigar. I'm MegaCherrymon. Puppetmon thought he destroyed me, but I came back. And now I am stronger than ever. The only thought that has comforted me this whole time was getting my revenge. I see you've all ready taken care of Puppetmon for me. Now, I only have to destroy the digidestined," he paused, "especially you, Matt." 

Matt stepped protectively in front of Mimi. "You don't scare me, you termite ridden, sad excuse for kindling. You were destroyed once, and this time I'm going to make sure that you never come back." 

MegaCherrymon laughed. "And while we're dreaming, I'd like some new leaves." His face suddenly turned sinister. "Get them." 

Woodmon began closing in on the digidestined. 

Mimi did the only thing she could think of. She screamed. 

_I screamed. I screamed until I thought my lungs would burst. I prayed to anyone that would listen, above or below, that my friends would hear me._   


Back at the campsite Palmon's snapped open at the sound of Mimi's cry. She looked around and didn't see Mimi anywhere. In the process she also saw that Matt was missing. She went over and woke Gabumon up. 

"Gabumon, Matt and Mimi are missing. I thought I heard Mimi scream, but she's not here." 

"How are we going to find them?" Gabumon asked, suddenly very worried. 

They were interrupted by another scream. 

"Um, I'd say we should head over there," Palmon said, pointing in the direction the scream had come from 

"Shouldn't we wake up the others? We might need their help." 

"You can if you want. All I know is that Mimi is in trouble and I need to protect her," Palmon broke into a run, as fast as her little roots would carry her. 

"Good luck!!" Gabumon called after her. He then went about waking up the other digidestined and digimon.   


The Woodmon were getting closer and closer. One of them had made the mistake of grabbing Mimi's arm. In one fast movement, Matt grabbed the branch and broke it. The Woodmon howled in pain and retreated. They still kept closing in. They were about to capture Matt and Mimi when they were attacked. 

"Poison Ivy!!" 

Palmon picked up one Woodmon and threw it into a group of five others, knocking them all to the ground. 

"Palmon!!" Mimi yelled. She had never been so glad to see her best friend. 

_Ah, Palmon. Dear, sweet Palmon. I was never deserving of her friendship and love. Not after the way I treated her most of the time. Despite that, she still stuck with me. She refused to give up on me, even the times when I had given up on myself._

MegaCherrymon chuckled. "How cute, your little weed is trying to protect you. It is of no matter, though. Now you can all die together." 

"Weed?? Who are you calling a weed?" Palmon yelled. 

"I think we're going to need some more fire power." Matt whispered to Mimi. 

"Got it covered." Mimi whispered back. "Palmon, digivolve!!" 

"Palmon digivolve to..........Togemon! Togemon digivolve to..........Lillymon!" 

Lillymon unleashed her Flower Cannon. It deleted several Woodmon instantly. However, just as many that were destroyed, twice as many seemed to come out of the surrounding darkness. Lillymon destroyed as many as she could, but they still kept coming. They wore Lillymon out, and she reversed digivolved back to Palmon. Mimi cradled her exhausted friend in her arms. 

"Well, that was pointless. Are you ready to die now? I promise to make it as slow and painful as I can," MegaCherrymon grinned, none too pleasantly. 

'I'm not going to let this happen,' Matt thought as he clenched his fists. As he thought that, his crest began to glow. 

Matt then heard the sound of a wolf howl, not too far away. A grin played across his lips. He turned to MegaCherrymon. "I think we still have one card left to play." 

"Metal Wolf Claw!!" 

All the Woodmon who had been surrounding Matt and Mimi suddenly blew up into little splinters. When the saw dust had cleared, standing in the place of the Woodmon were MetalGarurumon and the rest of the digidestined and fully digivolved digimon. 

"Looks like you don't have anyone to hind behind anymore, MegaCherrymon," Matt said, folding his arms across his chest. 

"That's what you think," MegaCherrymon replied. 

Just as before, more and more Woodmon came out of the darkness. 

"Destroy them. All of them." 

The Woodmon began attacking all the digimon and digidestined. Even though the good guys were extremely outnumbered, they still held their own. The only digimon who couldn't fight was Palmon. 

_I look back now at that battle. I relive it over and over again in my mind every time I close my eyes. This one event, that would change my life forever._

The battle raged on. The forest floor was soon littered with wood chips and sawdust. The good digimon were just being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of Woodmon attacking. Still they kept on fighting. As more and more Woodmon attacked, the forest around them seemed to be disappearing. 

Tai noticed this and called to the others. "This whole forest must have been made up entirely of Woodmon. MegaCherrymon brings them to life as he needs them. We have to destroy all the trees, even the ones that aren't moving!" 

This message was relayed to everyone and they began concentrating their attacks mostly on the inanimate trees, while still trying to keep the moving Woodmon at bay. 

It took awhile, but eventually all the trees that made up the forest were destroyed. Without the forest, they were all standing in a big field. The only tree left was MegaCherrymon. 

We thought we had won. But our fight was far from over. 

"Are you going to give up now?" Tai asked. 

"Why would I do that? Just look at your digital friends." MegaCherrymon snickered. 

He was right. All the digimon were reverse digivolving. The battle had taken all their energy, and then some. 

"Your little friends can't help you now. I shall enjoy destroying you one by one. And I know exactly who I am going to start with. However....... just so no one gets any ideas..........Vine Wrap!!" 

The vines that covered his branches snaked out and wrapped around most of the digidestined and digimon. The only ones who were still free were Matt, Mimi and Palmon. 

'It's got to be me,' Matt thought. 'He's going to destroy me first.'' 

He suddenly noticed that Mimi and Palmon were not tied up like the rest. Matt had a very confused look on his face. 

MegaCherrymon laughed. "You're probably wondering why I didn't wrap those two up. It's quite simple really. Palmon poses no threat to me so why waste the vines. As for the girl, it's because I'm going to kill her first." 

_When I heard him speak those words, I remember going completely numb. I couldn't even feel Palmon, even though I had been cradling her in my arms._

"What?? But....you wanted to destroy me!" Matt yelled, not understanding. 

"Of course I do. And what better way to do than to destroy your friends while you look on. You thought I was going to kill you? Sorry my boy, but I think leaving you alive and killing your friends is a much worst fate," the tree paused for a moment. "Enough of this chit chat. Let's get on with the show. Root Tangle." 

Root popped out of the ground and tangled themselves around Mimi's and Matt's feet. The only difference was that the roots had only managed to snag one of Matt's feet, not both. 

MegaCherrymon lumbered over close to Mimi, turning his back on Matt for the moment. 

_I was so scared when MegaCherrymon came up to me. I tried to be brave, but knowing I was about to die took whatever strength I had left in me._

While the tree was focused on Mimi, Matt set about freeing himself from the roots. "If he even lays a twig on her, I'll take an ax, a bottle of kerosene and a match to him." Matt mumbled to himself as he worked furiously at the roots. 

MegaCherrymon peered at Mimi through his yellow eyes. "Well my dear, this is it. Do you have any last requests?" 

"Please....," Mimi whispered, "you can have me, if you just let my friends go." 

MegaCherrymon howled with laughter. "Why would I do that?" 

Mimi was stalling. Her mind was racing furiously. "Because, you don't need to destroy all the digidestined. If you just kill one, we can't fulfill our destiny." 

The giant tree seemed to ponder that for a moment. "You do have a point there.......," he said, thinking it over. 

While the tree was distracted, Matt had managed to break through the roots that were holding him. He draped them over his feet so it only looked like he was tangled. He was waiting for just the right moment to rescue Mimi. 

MegaCherrymon snapped out of his thought. "That was a nice try, Mimi. But I think I'm going to destroy you all instead. It'll cause Matt more pain that way. I will admit that you are a very noble individual." MegaCherrymon stepped away and turned slightly to face the two digidestined. "And now for the end." As he said this his hand formed into a long pointed spear. Taking aim directly at Mimi's heart, he drew it back. 

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!" Matt's scream pierced the air. He ran towards Mimi as MegaCherrymon brought the spear forward. 

_I remember that time suddenly seemed to go in slow motion. I had shut her eyes tight and waited for the inevitable to happen. Destiny had something else in mind, though._

Matt had reached Mimi just in time, and threw himself in front her just as the spear was about to reach it's target.   
  
Matt's eyes went wide as the spear slammed into his body. All he could do is gasp and stare at the pointed piece of wood imbedded in his chest. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Mimi cracked open her eyes. She had expected to be instantly killed and greeted by an angel or something, coming to take her to the after life. She was shocked when it finally registered that she was still alive, and Matt was standing in front of her. He eyes transfixed on the point of the spear, which was barely centimeters from her chest, and it covered in dark, red blood. After only a brief second did she realize that MegaCherrymon's spear had skewered Matt instead of her. 

_I see that image everywhere I look now. In glass windows, in mirrors.....everywhere. I can't escape it. Why did he have to be so brave? It should have been me..............It should have been me............._

MegaCherrymon savagely pulled the spear from out of Matt. Matt collapsed to the ground, twitching slightly. Mimi instantly knelt by his side, tears in her eyes. 

"Foolish boy," MegaCherrymon muttered. "It is of no matter. You still live, and so I will kill your friends right before you die." 

"And as long as I have a breath in my body........I will not let you hurt any of my friends.........," Matt said, breathing heavily. As he said this, his crest began to glow once more. 

"Neither will I," Mimi said, as a tear traced a path down her cheek. It fell and landed on Matt's head. As this happened, her crest too began to glow. 

Palmon, suddenly empowered by Mimi opened her eyes and got up. Gabumon also had regained all his energy and broke through the vines that held him. They grinned at each other and digivolved. 

"Palmon digivolve to.............Togemon! Togemon digivolve to.............Lillymon!" 

"Gabumon worp digivolve to.............MetalGarurumon!!" 

The two digimon stood/fluttered in front of their human friends. MegaCherrymon had a look of complete shock on his face. 

"How?.....How is that possible?!? You were completely out of energy!! How could you digivolve?!? It's impossible!!" 

"Nothing is impossible," MetalGarurumon growled. "Save maybe for you surviving." 

"We'll see about that. Vine Wrap!!" 

Vines whipped and wrapped around MetalGarurumon. They could not restrain the Mega Digimon though. He broke them easily. 

"Now it's our turn," Lillymon said, absolute conviction in her voice. 

"Oh no," MegaCherrymon began inching backwards. "Can't we talk about this?" he whimpered slightly. 

"I don't think so," both digimon responded simultaneously. 

"This ends now. Ice Wolf Claw!!" 

MetalGarurumon's attacked hit MegaCherrymon dead on. It froze the giant tree solid, a look of absolute fear etched on his face. 

Lillymon and MetalGarurumon looked at each other and nodded. Both unleashed their attacks at the same time. 

"Flower Cannon!!" 

"Metal Wolf Claw!!" 

The blasts hit MegaCherrymon and blew him to bits. Pieces of him fell from the sky like snow. Since he was destroyed, the vines that had held everyone captive disintegrated. They all rushed over to where Matt lay. 

_Seeing that overgrown termite feast destroyed made me happy, but it was only for a brief instant. Matt was dying in my arms. I wished then, like I do now, that I could have taken his place._

The digidestined and digimon surrounded Matt. His head rested on Mimi's lap as she had her hands clamped firmly over the wound n his chest. The flow of blood had slowed a little, but he was losing too much. Everyone had tears in their eyes. 

Matt looked at everyone and gave them a weak smile. "C'mon guys, we're supposed to be happy. We just beat the bad guy, remember?" 

"But at what cost?" Sora whispered to herself. 

Still confronted with all the sad faces, Matt spoke again. "Guys, I was wondering if I might have a minute alone with Mimi?" 

No one moved. 

Matt tried again. "It will only take a second. I'm not going anywhere," he paused, and then added belatedly, "at least.......not yet." 

Slowly everyone nodded and backed away from their fallen friend, to give him some privacy. 

When Matt was satisfied his friends were far enough away, he turned his eyes upwards and looked at Mimi. 

"You know...I never did get to tell you who I'm in love with." 

"No, you didn't," Mimi replied quietly, fighting back the tears. 

Matt took a deep breath and closed his eyes. After a moment he opened them and gazed deep into Mimi's eyes. "I'm in love you, Mimi Tachikawa. I think I loved you the instant I met you, it just took me awhile to realize it. I know you're in love with someone else, but if I didn't tell you I would never forgive myself. I love you. You don't have to love me back......but I'm going to give you my heart anyway." 

Mimi could no longer hold back the tears in her eyes. She rested her head on Matt's head and wept softly. 

"Please Mimi....don't cry. It breaks my heart to see you sad. I'm sorry, I should never had said anything. I never meant to hurt you." 

"No, no you don't understand.....," Mimi said between sobs. "I'm not in love with someone else. I'm in love with you." 

Matt's eyes nearly pooped out of his skull in surprise. He struggled to sit up, grimacing in pain. Mimi gently slipped her arm around his shoulders to help him. He stared at her, mouth hanging open. 

"Me?? You're in love with me??" Matt couldn't believe what he was hearing. 

"Yes," Mimi smiled. "I love you, Yamato Ishida. With all my heart and soul." 

Matt looked very pale and tired. It was obvious that he was fighting to stay awake. "Talk about irony," he said between ragged breaths. He closed his eyes for a moment. 

Mimi's smile faded like a wisp of smoke. " Oh no. Matt? Matt, can you hear me?" She pleaded. 

"Yeah, I'm still here......I'm so tired though......," he said as he cracked open his eyes. 

Tears raced down Mimi's cheeks. "There's something I don't understand something." 

"What is that?" 

"I don't understand destiny. Why would it let us meet and fall in love..........if we can't be together?" She paused, "I can tell you this much though, I really hate destiny right now," Mimi said through choked sobs. 

Matt gave her a lopsided grin. "Don't hate destiny, Mimi. If it wasn't for it, we never would have met in the first place," he paused, "and I wouldn't have gotten the chance to love you. But it did let us meet, and it did let me fall in love. And for that I am truly grateful." 

Matt's strength was quickly leaving him. He slide back down to the ground. Mimi put his head back on her lap. His time was growing short, they both knew it. 

"Promise me something?" 

"Anything, anything in the world." Mimi replied. 

"Will you take care of TK for me? I know he doesn't really need it, but could you anyway?" Matt asked, with a pleading look in his eyes. 

"Of course I will," Mimi said, with her head bowed. 

Matt stifled a yawn and blinked several times. Mimi saw this and the tears were coming in full force. Matt looked at her with worried eyes. 

"I'm afraid," he whispered. 

Mimi took his hand. "Don't be afraid. I'm right here with you. It's OK.....you rest now," she said in a shaky voice. "I love you, Matt." With those words she kissed his forehead. 

Matt closed his eyes. "I love you, Mimi," he said with his last breath. 

Mimi laid her hand on his chest. She could still feel his heartbeat, barely. 

Slower. 

Slower. 

Stop. 

She wrapped her arms around him and held him while she cried.   


**Present**   


Mimi came out of her dream like state, realizing she was still in the graveyard. She turned her eyes back to the headstone and quietly read the inscription under the name and dates. 

To live in the hearts of those you love   
Is to never die at all. 

"Oh Matt," Mimi whispered. "I never knew true love until I was with you. And I never felt true sadness until you left me." 

Mimi suddenly felt the presence of someone standing beside her. She turned slightly to see who it was. That someone turned out to be several someones. TK was with Patamon, Gabumon and Palmon. TK placed a single flower on his brother's grave. Mimi placed her hand on TK's shoulder. No words were spoken, there wasn't any need for them. 

'No one should ever feel pain like this,' Mimi thought sadly. And with that she wept, as the rain fell harder.   
  


More Author's Notes: So? How was that for my second fic? I was thinking for my next one that I might do something with the idea of Joe and Mimi. Well, that's it for now. Until next time. Thanks for reading.   
  



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